What is Yoga?

The word "Yoga" derived from “yuj,” the Sanskrit word that means "union." Yoga is said to help its practitioners attain the union of the individual consciousness with the Universal one, transcending the limitations of the ego. Yogis believe that the source of human suffering is ignorance, i.e. failing to see the bigger picture in which we all are integral parts of the Universe, entitled to enjoy its infinite abundance by birthright.

Kriya Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Shivananda Yoga, Jiva Mukti Yoga, Power Yoga, Om Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Integral Yoga Institute, Vedanta Center, White Lotus Foundation, Tibetan Yoga, ViniYoga, Himalayan Institute, and Ramakrishna School are just a few of the known branches of the great Hatha Yoga family tree that in the recent years found fertile ground on the North American continent.

The History of Yoga

It is believed that Yoga started in India about 3000 to 5000 years ago. During an excavation in the Indus Valley archeologists discovered stone seals depicting Yoga postures. Scientists believe that this evidence was left behind by Indus-Saraswati Civilization which gave birth to the Vedas, a collection of sacred texts and rituals performed by Brahmins (Vedic Priests). Between 1800 and 1500 BC Vedic Priests documented their experiences in another important script called the Upanishads. One of the central ideas of this text is that the ultimate realization of an Individual Self (Atman) happens when it unites with the Universal Consciousness (Brahman). There is also a mention of Hatha Yoga postures in the Upanishads. In 500 BC The Bhagavad Gita was written, a profound text entirely dedicated to the practice of Yoga. Then, the major principles of Hatha Yoga were systematically described in the Sutras by Patanjali in 200 BC.

Hatha Yoga is said to be rooted in Tantra, a teaching that embraced the body as an ally on the journey toward enlightenment instead of an obstacle. Most Hatha Yoga texts came into existence beginning around 1300 on, including the classic Hatha Yoga manual c. 1350, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swatmarama, which described pranayama (breathing practices), bandhas (energy locks), nada (the inner sound vibration), kriyas (cleansing practices), and 16 asanas (postures).

The Ancient Eastern Practice in the Modern Western World

At its inception, Hatha Yoga was intended to be used as a vehicle toward attaining enlightenment and developing what people in the West would now refer to as “paranormal powers,” such as regulating one's blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature, slowing down the aging process, and healing oneself. An important distinction between Eastern and Western worldviews transpires here in the language itself. Practitioners of Yoga and other mindfulness-centered disciplines propose that the states of functioning that we habitually refer to as “normal” are, in fact, suboptimal *. Thus, “paranormal powers” available to a person in the state of full awakeness attained through Yoga practice, are in the view of the Yogic philosophy, the human birthright waiting to be fully realized.

How You Can Benefit from Practicing Hatha Yoga

Yogis believe that at the root of all physical and mental dis-ease lies an imbalance of the energies of opposing nature, the Male and the Female, the Sun and the Moon, the Yin and the Yang, excitation and relaxation, effort and letting go, the Ha and the Tha. A Ha-Tha Yoga practice aims to balance and harmonize these energies enabling a practitioner to attain optimal functioning of the body and mind, bringing him or her closer to the state of full awakeness, i.e., enlightenment.

Hatha Yoga has three basic components that work toward the same purpose. Asanas (postures) work primarily with the body, dhyana (meditation) works with the mind, and pranayama (breathing exercises) works with the breath, which Thich Nhat Hanh aptly refers to as “the intersection of the body and mind.” The practice of each of these components informs and enriches the other two.

My Background in Yoga

I was trained in the Integral Yoga tradition, which began in the early 1800s as a synthesis of different branches of Yoga. The goal of Integral Yoga is "Easeful body, peaceful mind, useful life." I presently teach and practice at the Integral Yoga Institute founded by His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda. One of the great contributions of Swami Satchidananda was the interfaith emphasis of his teachings, summarized in his motto, “Truth is One, Paths are Many.”

I thank my many teachers for inspiring, encouraging, and informing my pursuit.

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